Sleep Apnea Could Be Dangerous; See How The Disorder Might Have Led To A Rare Fatal Crash

Sleep apnea is being considered as a factor why the engineer of the Hoboken Terminal train lost control of the vehicle, leading to a fatal accident in New Jersey. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that robs a person of enough rest as it interferes with the normal sleep cycle which could lead to daytime drowsiness and sleepiness.

Thomas Gallagher, the 49-year-old operator who was in charge of a New Jersey train before it crashed, is suspected to have suffered from sleep apnea. In a report from The New York Times, Gallagher's lawyer Jack Arsenault said that the engineer had an undiagnosed sleep apnea.

Upon learning his possible condition, Gallagher reportedly believed that sleep apnea might explain why he cannot remember the train crash. "It made sense to him because of his experience with the crash that he did everything that he would normally do," his lawyer Mr. Arseneault said in an interview. "He checked his speed, blew the whistle, rang the bell, and the next thing he knew he was on the floor," Gallagher's lawyer continued.

Gallagher only remembered waking up on the floor as he was pulled from the train's wreckage without memory of the said incident. The train's speed apparently increased to 21 mph before he hit the brake, crashing the train into a bumper. However, the accident led to the death of a woman who was standing on the platform while 100 people were injured, USA Today reported.

Sleep apnea is a chronic sleep disorder that causes shallow breaths and breathing pauses that could last from a few seconds to minutes during sleep. It disrupts a sleep cycle, causing the individual to lack enough rest which could result to excessive sleepiness and tiredness during daytime as well as drowsiness.

Apart from daytime sleepiness, sleep apnea could also increase the risk of certain diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart conditions. However, sleep apnea is often undiagnosed as there is no routine laboratory workups that can trace the condition.

Sleep apnea requires long-term treatment and management such as lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, and breathing devices. There are also cases that require surgery sometimes. In the meantime, check out the proposed new treatment for sleep apnea in the video below.